Buttonhole attachment for sewing machines



June 21, 1955 R. A. MATTHIES 2,711,142

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT F OR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROLAND A. MATTHIES I r ATTORNEY a-"Mill INVENTOR.

June 21, 1955 R. A. MATTHIES 2,711,142

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

/k////* y is? 1 4/ INVENTOR. ROLAND A. MATTHIES ATTOR N EY United States Patent BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Roland A. Matthies, Needham, Mass. Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,064 6 Claims. (Cl. 112-147) My present invention relates to ments, and more particularly to a buttonhole attachment.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a buttonhole attachment for making a hand made type buttonhole in a minimum of time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an attachment which will fold a strip of material into a double channel to form the channel strip at each edge of the buttonhole.

Another object of the attachment which will sewing machine attachpresent invention is to provide an insert a binding cord into each channel of a folded strip of material and stitch the fold close to the cord.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a buttonhole attachment which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the next step in forming the buttonhole.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the work performed in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the beginning of the next step in forming the buttonhole.

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the completion of the final step in forming the buttonhole.

Fig. 11 is a bottom shown in Fig. 10.

Fancy buttonholes have heretofore been made by hand, so that they could only be applied to more expensive garments because of the high cost. These buttonholes are formed by folding a small strip of material over a binding cord and stitching it to one face of the garment. A second similar strip is stitched in exact spaced parallel relation to the first. A slit is cut in the material and the channel members are then folded through the slit and then tacked into place. The strips could be formed at contrasting colors. However, care must be taken to fold the cords tightly in place, keep the channel members straight while stitching close to the cord, and properly positioning and spacing the second strip.

The present invention is designed to provide a considerable saving in time and to insure accuracy and uniformity. The attachment of the present invention guides and folds a strip of material to form two channels each having a cord extending therethrough and permits sewing of these channels in exact spaced parallel relation to the garment.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, particularly plan view of the completed step Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the buttonhole attachment is mounted on a sewing machine in which the head 21 and table 22 are shown. The head 21 is provided with a conventional double needle sewing arm 23 and the attachment 20 is mounted on the supporting arm 24 extending in back of the arm 23. The outer portion of the attachment 20 comprises an integral one-piece sheet of material which tapers forwardly towards the end portion from which the. folded material is discharged. It comprises a flat bottom wall 25 and side walls 26 which are turned inwardly and upwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The side walls 26 taper inwardly at a sharper angle than the bottom wall 25 so that they form a triangular cut out portion and providing a solid portion 27 adjacent the front end. The upper edges of the side walls 26 are re-entrantly bent asat 28.

The front end of the bottom plate 25 is cut away as at 29 in Fig. 3 to provide an open bottom at the forward end. The body of the attachment at the forward end comprises a heavier and more solid material than the rear end cut into a central groove 30 which forms a vertical slot or passageway extending from the forward tip of the cut out portion to the portion 27 at the front end. At each side of the passageway 30 are a pair of grooves 31 having their inner walls cut away asat 32 to form needle openings extending entirely through the attachment. The extreme front end then turns upwardly to form the attaching section 33 which is attached to the arm 24 extending from the head 21.

Now referringto Figs. 1 and 4, a guide plate 34 ismounted on the upper part of the rear end of the attachment. A bar 34a extends across the rear end of the plate 34 and the assembly is locked to the attachment by the screws 40. The plate 34 extends forwardly and downwardly to form a resilient tongue which is split along the center as at 35. This resilient tongue serves to keep the material passing through the attachment smooth and even and pressed towards the bottom 25. The tongue 34 tapers forwardly parallel to the sides of the attachment and extends just short of the cut out portion 29.

I now providea pair of guide tubes 36 shown in Fig. 5. Each tube is slightly tapered towards the forward end and is provided with a bent end portion 37. The front half of the tube 36 including the bent portion 37 is open at one side as at 38. The tube itself is supported 'by a bent wire supporting member 39 the back upper edge of the supported attachment by the assembly screws 40. Each tube 36 is therefore mounted on a screw' 40 and extends in spaced parallel relationthrough the attachment with the front ends 37 resting in the grooves 31 as shown in Fig. 3. The tubes 36 therefore resiliently float within the grooves31 serving a double purpose. The binding cords 41 are fed through the tubes 36 as shown inFig. '1, and the strip of material 42 is wrapped around thetubes 36 to form the double folds.

The device operates as follows:

The cords 41are inserted in the tubes 36, and the strip of material 42 is inserted in the front opening 43 beneath the guide plate'3'4.-. As'the material 42 passes through the attachment, the tapered sides force the excess of material upwardly around plates 34 and around tubes 36, the excess material extending upwardly into the slot 30 so that the material is folded over into an inverted T-shape as shown in Fig. l'with the tightly around the cords 41. The double needles on the sewing arm 23 pass through the opening 32 to stitch the material into the form shown in Fig. '1 to the garment or other material 44. Since the side folds of the material 42 are wrapped around the front end 37 of the tubes 36 with the cords 41 extending therefrom,'and these are pressed tightly against openings 32 as shown in Fig. 3, the stitch which is soldered or otherwise fastened to the tube 36 and the rear ends mounted on side edges rounded over will form its-close as possible to the corded fold to provide a neat straight corded edge on each side. 7

The buttonhole is formed by the method disclosed in Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive. Referring to Fig. 6, the strip of material 42' has been stitched to the garment 44 between rows of stitching 45 on each side of the central upstanding edges 46' of the material. This forms a pair of rounded side edges 47 in which the cord 41 is tightly through and around in parallel relation to the material 44. In Fig. 6 the ends 46 are just beginning to go through the cuts 48' and 49 and in Fig. they are completely through turning the material 42' on to the reversed side of the garment material 44'. Stitches 50' are then placed at each end to tack the material in place as shown in Fig. ll. The finished buttonhole then comprises a rounded edge having an additional corded material reinforcing the edge and showing through the buttonhole. The buttonhole is therefore provided with separate cordedstrips at each edge.

As referred to in the beginning of this specification,

these separate corded strips were normally positioned on the material by hand making it slow and difficult to provide a perfect buttonhole. The attachment of the present invention therefore greatly reduces the amount of labor and eliminates any margin of error. The length of the buttonhole can of course be varied and the device can I be used for making pocket openings or any other type ofde'c'orat'ive openings in a similar manner.

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine comprising an elongated housing tapering toward the forward end, said housing having a bottom, sides and an open top, said sides tapering toward the frontend and extending inwardly and vertically and joining to form a top portion adjacent the front end, said front portion forming an inverted I -shaped housing, guide means extending through said housing, saidguide means comprising a pair of hollow tubes, resilient means extending from the rear of each tube and mounted .to the rear of said housing for supporting. said tubes to permit limitedmovemerit of the front ends thereof, and means integral with the front end of' said housing for attaching saidhousing to ajsewing machine'head.

2; A buttonhole attachment for a sewingrnachinecomprising an elongated housing tapering toward the forward end, said housing having. a bottom, sides and an open top, said sides tapering; toward the front end and extending inwardly and vertically and joining to form a top portion adjacent the front end, said front portion forming-an inverted T-shaped housing, the bottom ofsaid' housing having a pair of spaced parallel grooves adjacent the front end, guide means mounted at the rear of said housing and extending through: said housing, said guide means comprising a pair of hollow tubes, said tubes resting in said grooves, and means integral'with the front end of said. housing for attaching said housingto'a sewingmachine head.

3. A buttonhole attachment for a=sewing machine comprisingan elongated housing tapering toward the for ward; end; said housing having a bottom; sidesand an open: top,- said sides tapering toward the frontend and:

extending inwardly andvertically and joining to" forms.

top portion adjacent the" front end, said front portion grooves, resilient means extending from the rear of each 7 forming an inverted T-shaped housing, the bottom of said housing having a pair ofspaced parallel grooves adjacent the front end, said housing having a pair of needle openings extending through. saidgrooves, guide means mounted at the rear of said housing 'audexteriding through said housing, said guide means comprising a pair of hollow tubes, said tubes resting in said grooves, and

means integral with the front end of said housing for attachingsaid housing to a sewing machine head;

4. A buttonhole attachment fora sewing machine comprising an elongated housing tapering toward the forward end, said housing having a bottom, sides and an open top; said sides tapering toward the front end and extending inwardly and verticallyandjoining to form a top' pofr't'ion adjacent the'fron-t end, said front portion forming an inverted T-shaped housing, a pair of hollow guide tubesextending through said housing, a resilient wire extending from the rear end of each tube, the ends of said wires being'mounted on the rear'end of said housingto provide a resilient mounting for said tubes, the front end of each tube being slightly tapered and bent at an angle to the tube, the front portion of each tube including the bent end being open along one side, and means integral with the front end of said housing for attaching said housing to a sewing machine head.

5'. A buttonhol'e attachment for a sewing machine com- A prising an elongated housing tapering toward the forward end, said housing having a bottom, sides and an open top, said sides tapering toward the front end and extend ing' inwardly and vertically and joining to form a topportion adjacent the front end, said front portion forming an inverted T-shaped housing, the bottom of saidhousing having a pair of spaced parallel grooves adjacent the front end, a spring tongue mounted at the rear of said housing and contacting the bottom of said housing; a; 7

pair of hollow guide tubes extending through said housing over said spring tongue, said tubes resting in said tube and mounted to the rear of said housing for support-- ing said tubes to permit limited movement of the front ends thereof, and means integral with the front end of said housing fonattaching said housing to a sewing machine head;

6. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine com- A prising an elongated housing tapering toward, the for ward end, said housing having a bottom, sides and an open top, said sides tapering toward the front end and extending inwardly and vertically and joining to form a top portion adjacent the frontend, said front portion forming an inverted T-shaped-housing, the'bottom of said housing having a pair of spaced parallel grooves adja cent the front end, said housing having a pair of needle openings extending through said grooves, a spring; tongue mounted at the rear of said housing and contacting the bottom of said housing, a pair of hollow guide tubesv ex tending through said housing; over said spring. tongue, a'

resilient wire extending from the rear end of eachtube,

the ends; of said wires being. mounted on the rear end' of said housing to provide a resilient mounting for said tubes, the front end of each tube being slightly tapered and bent at an angle to.the tube, the front portion of each f 7 tube including the bent endbeing open along: one side,

and means integral with the front end of said housing for attaching said housing to a. sewing machine head.

Great Britain Fee; "19,1894 p 

